BODY ODOR



 What is body odor?

Body odor is any strong or unusual odor related to the body. The medical term is bromhidrosis. Occasional abnormal body odor may be a temporary effect of a metabolic change, such as fruity breath in diabetic ketoacidosis, but by far the most common cause of abnormal body odor is excessive perspiration or hyperhidrosis (overactive sweat glands).

Sweating, or perspiring, is necessary to cool the body and is triggered by warm temperatures, exercise or physical exertion, or as a stress response to nervousness, fear, embarrassment or anger. Fluid from sweating in combination with skin bacteria produce the familiar odor recognized as body odor.

What other symptoms might occur with body odor?

Body odor may accompany other symptoms that vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that often affect the endocrine system may also involve other body systems.

Endocrine symptoms that may occur along with body odor

Body odor may accompany other symptoms affecting the endocrine system including:

  • Cold or clammy hands
  • Extreme, extended, unexplained sweating
  • Night sweats
  • Sweating with weight loss

What causes body odor?

Occasionally, abnormal body odor may be an effect of a metabolic change, such as fruity breath in diabetic ketoacidosis or changes in body chemistry in liver or kidney failure. However, abnormal body odor is usually caused by hyperhidrosis (excessive, abnormal sweating). Primary hyperhidrosis (affecting only the hands, feet and armpits) has no identified cause, but may be genetic. Secondary hyperhidrosis is caused by other conditions, such as acromegaly (disorder recognized by continuing growth of the hands, feet and face), anxiety disorders, cancers, certain medications, glucose (sugar) control disorders, pheochromocytoma (tumor associated with hypertension), substance abuse, tuberculosis, or other infections.

Causes of body odor

Body odor may be caused by a number of disorders that either cause excessive sweating or directly contribute to an abnormal odor. Examples include:

  • Acromegaly (disorder recognized by continuing growth of hands, feet and face)

  • Anxiety disorders

  • Glucose (sugar) control disorders such as diabetes

  • Hereditary tendency to develop hyperhidrosis (genetic trait)

  • Hyperthyroidism(overactive thyroid)

  • Lung disease

  • Medication side effects (antidepressants, antiseizures, omega-3 fatty acid)

  • Pheochromocytoma (tumor associated with hypertension)

  • Spine or nerve trauma

  • Substance abuse

Serious or life-threatening causes of body odor

In some cases, body odor may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These conditions include:

What are the potential complications of body odor?

Because body odor can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications including:

  • Isolation or withdrawal, loss of work from embarrassment over persistent abnormal odor

  • Kidney failure

  • Liver failure

  • Spread of cancer

  • Spread of infection

Body Odor Prevention

The best way to fight body odor is through prevention. If you want to be odor-free, consider the following tips:

  • Take a bath or shower every day.
  • Wash your clothes regularly and make sure to wear clean ones.
  • Try to avoid strong-smelling foods that may seep through your pores.
  • Put on an antiperspirant at bedtime. This gives the product a chance to work while you sleep and are not sweating. If you apply antiperspirants after showering in the morning, the sweat you accumulate will wash away the product and render you defenseless against daytime sweating. Remember, deodorants do not prevent sweating. They mainly mask the smell of the sweat on your skin. Antiperspirants are chemical agents that reduce sweating.
  • Many antiperspirant preparations also contain a deodorant, which helps to mask the smell. Check the product you use to make sure it contains an antiperspirant as well as a deodorant.
  • Keep your underarms dry. Bacteria have a hard time breeding in dry areas of the body. Shaving your underarms regularly will also help prevent the accumulation of bacteria and can reduce sweat and odor.

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